Messages in this thread | | | From | Denis Vlasenko <> | Subject | Re: Intel also needs convincing on firmware licensing. | Date | Thu, 28 Oct 2004 08:50:50 +0300 |
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On Thursday 28 October 2004 06:46, Gene Heskett wrote: > On Wednesday 27 October 2004 22:25, Han Boetes wrote: > >Hi, > > > >The people from the OpenBSD project are currently lobbying to get > > the firmware for Intel wireless chipsets under a license suitable > > for Open Source. > > > >Since this will not only benefit BSD but also the Linux Project (and > >even Intel) I would like to mention the URL here for people who want > > to help writing to Intel. > > > > http://undeadly.org/cgi?action=article&sid=20041027193425 > > > Please be aware that for the so-called "software radios" > chips/chipsets, the FCC, and other similar regulating bodies in other > countries has made access to the data quite restrictive in an attempt > to keep the less ruly among us from putting them on frequencies they > aren't authorized to use, or to set the power levels above whats > allowed. These restrictions can vary from governing body to > governing body so the software is generally supplied according to > where the chipset is being shipped. The potential for mischief, and > legal/monetary reprecussions is sufficiently great that I have > serious doubts that Intel will budge from their current position > unless we can prove, beyond any doubt, that the regulatory > limitations imposed will not be violated. > > Since open source, where anyone who can read the code can see exactly > what the limits are, and 'adjust to suit', virtually guarantees > miss-use, sooner if not later, for no other reason than its human > nature to experiment, Intel/moto/etc therefore has very good reasons > to treat its chip<->software interface as highly secret & > proprietary.
However, disassemblers do exist. Hiding secrets in binary .o files is silly. -- vda
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